With current fines and penalties proving to be ineffective in the battle against distracted driving, an Ottawa tech firm is taking a different approach towards getting motorists to put down their phones.

AutoAdvisory, developed by Specific Range Solutions, uses gamification and social media to try to make us all into better drivers.

The app, which is available for iOS and Android, sends a notification reminding users not to use their phone after it detects via Bluetooth or charging cable that it’s inside a vehicle. (A passenger mode means non-drivers are still free to use their devices).

The app monitors whether the phone’s screen remained locked for the duration of the trip. It also gives users a score of the number of safe trips and distance driven safely that can be shared on social media.

AutoAdvisory’s Omer Majeed stopped by Techopia Live this week to chat about the app.

We then spoke to Irdeto Cloakware vice-president Jaco Du Plooy as the cybersecurity firm celebrates its 20th anniversary.